


Overnight

by TheBlackMagister



Series: Tattoos [8]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Angry Rick Grimes, Fist Fights, Gentle Kissing, Gentle Negan (Walking Dead), Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Massage, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, actual massaging like, cause he wont stop fighting ppl, even tho hes very pissy, for once, rick 'fight me' grimes, rick gets put in prison for a day or two, rick...... needs a break, theres a brief mention of a handjob but, very briefly, we dont go into detail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-08
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-11-23 04:24:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11395281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlackMagister/pseuds/TheBlackMagister
Summary: After Ron turns up dead, Rick... maybe loses it a little. But just a little.





	Overnight

**Author's Note:**

> i had to look up virginia laws on battery and shit i feel like the police are gonna come bursting down my damn door. even though i dont even live in virginia

The kid is _dead_.

Rob or Reg or Ron or whatever – they’d found him dead on the floor of his bedroom. Suicide, they said. Nothing they could do. So; case closed, or whatever.

Negan is _not_ happy.

He knows, good and damn well, there’s nothing they can do. The person responsible is dead and there’s nobody else to blame. But that doesn’t stop him from being pissed. He’d been looking forward to the little shit getting the punishment he deserved, and to know that that’s no longer possible – he’s very, very displeased.

Although.. maybe not as pissed off as Rick apparently is.

The night they find out Negan has to make dinner and do the dishes and.. just about everything else, because Rick’s so angry he’s shaking, so angry the first time he picks up a plate he manages to break it in half. Negan’s almost glad Carl doesn’t come out of his room much; he doesn’t think that Carl should see Rick like this. Hell, Rick almost makes _him_ nervous, which is saying something, considering Rick is about half his size.

“Rick,” He sighs, when they’re getting ready for bed. “Sweetheart..”

“What?” Rick frowns, turning to him, and there’s a hard set to his mouth. Negan shifts a little.

“Are.. are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Rick’s tone is cold and clipped and he turns away from Negan, shoulders stiff. Negan shifts again, biting the inside of his cheek.

“Baby..” Negan hesitates momentarily before moving up behind Rick. “I know you’re angry, Rick, but..” He trails off, uncertain as to where he was going with that. Rick whirls on him, blue eyes blazing, looking downright feral.

“But what?” Rick snarls, bristling. “But _what_ , Negan?! What do you think I’m going to do?!”

“That’s not what I meant,” Negan soothes. “It’s not. But I know you. You can be reckless, especially when you go all Dad Mode. And trust me, I know better than anyone doing reckless shit isn’t worth it.”

“You think I-” Rick takes a moment, spluttering. “You think I would-? What the hell am I going to do about this, Negan? What am I – what am I supposed to do?”

His voice cracks a little at the end and he swallows hard. Negan softens a little, tilting his head up.

“I know, Rick,” He murmurs. “I know. It hurts. God, it hurts so fucking bad, you just want to hit somebody. But I know what that kind of hurt does. Shit, baby, why do you think I was in prison? But.. fuck. I don’t wanna see that happen to you. Just.. promise me you won’t do anything reckless ‘cause you’re angry. Please.”

“I won’t.” Rick takes a deep, trembling breath. “I just.. need some sleep.”

“Okay.” Negan dips his head, pressing a soft little kiss to Rick’s mouth. Rick sighs shakily, and when Negan pulls back he drops his forehead to the older man’s chest. Negan adds softly against his ear, “Come on, lovely. Let’s go to bed.”

Rick just nods, letting Negan walks him backwards to the bed. He thumps onto the bed and Negan lifts his legs for him, and then leans to kiss Rick again, real soft. When Rick pulls away Negan slips into bed next to him, one hand rubbing up and down his back when he turns onto his belly.

“Negan,” Rick mumbles into the pillow, and Negan hums. “Will you rub my back ‘n stuff?”

“Of course, kitten.” Negan moves to straddle Rick’s waist, palms finding the younger man’s shoulders. Rick lets out another shaky little sigh, folding his arms under his head. Lightly callused fingers trace over the scars on Rick’s back, all the tattoos gracing Rick’s pale skin, and Negan ducks down to kiss them all, hands rubbing slow circles into the muscles at Rick’s shoulders.

“What do we do now?” Rick says after a few moments, and he sounds every bit as lost as he feels. “The kid who shot our son is dead. Carl will never see justice. What do we..?”

“I wish I knew,” Negan sighs. “I wish I knew.”

 

In the morning Negan convinces Rick to let him give the younger man a quick hand job before work, and (he hopes) Rick leaves a little more relaxed. He’s kind of looking forward to later in the night, when they get home; he can think of a few ways to soothe Rick’s nerves.

After school he’s a little distracted, thinking about Rick – not even just in bed, but with Rick’s emotional state being all over the place, there’s no telling what could set Rick off. He’s left absentmindedly grading his students’ health tests, half thinking about Rick, when his phone rings. It actually startles him a little, and he shakes his head at himself. Man, he’s on edge for no reason.

“Hullo?” He answers absently, frowning as he tries to decipher some kid’s chickenscratch. What the fuck does this even say?

“Hey, Negan.” He’d half been expecting Rick, but Michonne is just as good. She’s cool; Negan likes her well enough. And Rick trusts her enough to babysit Judith, so that’s a good reason to trust her.

“Oh, hey, Michonne. What’s up?” He figures he can take a break and catches the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he reaches for his bag. He’s fucking tired; and he’s got all weekend to grade these stupid tests. Or at least figure out what they all say.

“Is Rick with you?” There’s the hint of something suggestive in her voice, and while usually Negan would laugh this time he just frowns in concern.

“No. He was supposed to go pick up Judith and go home.”

“Well, that’s the problem. He never came to pick up Judith and it’s not like him to be late without calling.. unless he’s preoccupied.”

Negan’s frown deepens, and he forgoes the cigarettes to pick up the entire bag. It _isn’t_ like Rick to not tell anybody he’s going to be late. Hell, he called Michonne once when they were only two minutes late – and now it’s been about an hour since he was supposed to go get her, and nothing.

“He hasn’t called me or anything. I dunno what’s going on.”

“Huh. Okay, well, I can look after Judith for a bit longer if you think you should go looking for him.”

“Yeah.” Negan shrugs his bag on and ducks out of his office, careful to flick off the lights after. “I think I’m gonna have to – he’s never late without telling somebody. I’m just afraid he’s done something stupid. Thanks, though – I’ll try and be by in an hour for Judith, if you can hang on to her that long.”

“Sure,” She says warmly. “I’m sure he’s fine. He can look after himself.”

“I know.” Negan sighs a little. “That’s what makes me nervous.”

They say their goodbyes – Michonne even lets Judith babble a goodbye, and she’s just learning to talk, and Negan’s heart melts. Afterwards Negan’s first stop is home, to check on Carl. He’ll be going back to school soon, and Negan wants to be sure Carl’s okay. He’s been getting better, but..

“Carl?” He calls, shrugging off his bag onto the couch, when he gets home. After a pause Carl peeks out from the stairwell.

“Hey. Is Dad with you?”

Negan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. Now he’s _really_ worried. “No. I was hoping he’d be here.. but apparently not. I don’t know where he is and neither does Michonne – he didn’t go get Judith, either.”

Carl frowns. “Did he stay late at work?”

“I dunno.” Negan shakes his head a little. “Normally he calls if he’s going to be late.. at least Michonne, since she’s got Judith. I should probably go check, though, just to be sure-”

Then his phone rings again. He frowns at Carl, who shrugs, and fishes his phone out of his pocket. Rick. Some sort of primal relief builds in his chest until he feels like he’s going to burst with it, and Christ, he’s never been more glad to receive a phone call.

“Baby,” He says once he answers, without any sort of greeting. “Where the fuck are you?”

“Eh..” He can hear the sheepishness and embarrassment in Rick’s voice already, and he bites back an exasperated sigh. “I’m, uh.. I’m at the jail.”

“What? Why?”

“I, uh..” Rick’s voice trails off for a moment; and then, obviously embarrassed, he continues, “I.. may or may not have gotten into a fight..”

“You.. what?” Negan takes a second to process this. “With who?! Rick-” Turning, he notices Carl giving him a confused expression and shrugs, just as lost.

“Pete Anderson,” Rick mutters, and Negan can hear the fucking blush of humiliation. “I couldn’t help it, we were responding to another call of domestic violence at his house and I just.. couldn’t help myself..”

Negan lets out a long breath, eyes closing with exasperation. “What the fuck, Rick. No, seriously, what the fuck. I leave you for eight hours and you.. what the fuck. Do I need to come get you?”

“No, they’re, um.. they’re keeping me overnight. So I don’t.. y’know.”

“Start a fist fight with anybody else?” Negan supplies, and Rick coughs uncomfortably. “Shit, what happened? At least tell me that if you fought him you beat the shit out of him.”

“I’m not sure you should be encouraging me right now,” Rick says wryly. “Buuut.. yeah.. I did. Bastard deserved it, anyway. We rolled up and he answered the door and gave me an attitude, and I just.. couldn’t help it. We ended up in the street with it.”

If Negan didn’t know better he’d think Rick sounds _proud_. He can’t help but to laugh, though, shaking his head even though Rick can’t see him.

“Christ, Rick. I swear..”

“I’ll be home tomorrow, at least?”

“Yeah..” Negan lets out a long breath, still grinning stupidly. “I guess. Try not to get in any more trouble, though? Please?”

Rick chuffs softly on the other end. “No promises. I’ll call you tomorrow. Love you.”

“Love you too, dumbass,” Negan says affectionately, relief flooding him even at the dial tone. Jeez – what an adorable idiot.

“What was that about?” Carl demands, almost as soon as he’s hung up. “Was that Dad?”

“Yeah, that was your dear ol’ dad.” Negan exhales, rolling his eyes. “He’s decided being in jail for the night would be fun. Decided fighting would be good. So – I guess we have to go pick up Judith.”

Carl frowns a little, taking this in. His eye narrows at Negan for a long moment, as if judging whether or not Negan’s joking. Negan has to repress the pang of sadness at the boy – Carl seems to be getting better, despite the fact the doctors had warned he might never feel okay again – so there’s no reason for Negan to be sad, either. Finally Carl relaxes and gives Negan a devious sort of look.

“So it’s just us for tonight?”

“Sure is.” Negan grins a little. “Got something in mind?” For a moment Carl seems to ponder this; and then he grins back.

“Can we get pizza?”


End file.
